“Feasibility of urban farm should be measured in terms of social impact”
The biggest challenge in this respect is creating a business model that is economically feasible.
By Jenneken Schouten
Hortidaily
Aug 17, 2021
Excerpt:
Much is being said about large-scale, high-tech greenhouses that produce massive yields of fresh produce. However, despite their strong business model, these facilities might not solve all food apartheid in lower-income, segregated neighborhoods of big cities where access to fresh food is limited. For this, smaller, local urban farms can play a role.
Bringing food production back into the cities is the goal of Wageningen University’s Urban Greenhouse Challenge. In November 2021, the third edition of this challenge will kick off. This year, WUR will partner with the University of the District of Columbia.
“What is special about UDC, is that it has always been a public university, with a large Afro-American student population, and an urban focus. UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) trains people to have an impact on the local economy and quality of life of the residents of the District of Columbia, as well as other places in the world. This strong local perspective is a great addition to the more global focus of Wageningen University,” says Marta Eggers, one of the organizers of the event.
